Simviation Forums

Vultures, plain and simple.
She's already paid them a substantial amount, and considering this is supposed to be a search for the guy when he's possibly still alive its ridiculous. Whoever said you couldn't put a price on a life obviously hasn't met these people.

Vultures, plain and simple.
She's already paid them a substantial amount, and considering this is supposed to be a search for the guy when he's possibly still alive its ridiculous. Whoever said you couldn't put a price on a life obviously hasn't met these people.

Tough one - if they hadn't been so quick to have him declared dead, then maybe the bill may have taken a bit longer to come through.

To be fair I'd just tell em to not bother if I thought my family would be billed to find me.

thats what taxes are for... regardless of whether or not she is a billionaire or a single mom on welfare... she shouldnt get the bill either way.

I see it from both sides of the fence and to digress slightly and I would not say Steve Fosset falls in to this category, but, if you out unprepared and get into trouble, then why should you not be billed for being rescued. We see it time and time again, idiots who try to day trip across the Channel with nothing but a rowing boat and a Mars Bar, or people people who go for a walk in the mountains with a shower cap in their pocket just in case it rains. If you get into problems due to your own stupidity, then yes you should have to pay. It should have nothing to do with how much tax you think you have payed. Steve Fossett, would not have fallen into this sort of category, but would have probably taken a calculated risk or two from time to time. Some people would say, he has enough money, so he should pay, others would say why should he be treated any differently. Or, when you have more in loose change on you night table than most earn in a life time, may be a nice donation to the bodies that where looking for you would have been seen as nice gesture and who knows, bill, what bill............................I would suspect, once it all comes out in the wash that this was suggested and ignored hense the bill. Lets face it, some of the richest  people in the world are also some of the meanest, widows in particular.

Matt

I agree with you if this had been a "foolish adventure" but it wasn't. He was a licensed pilot, and had no idea there would be any problems with the flight. Don't all pilots, including students, plan their flights to make sure they have enough fuel and check their aircraft before flight for any obvious problems? He was flying for pleasure as the court ruled and did not expect to stay out long.
The ensuing search for him was so involved because of the terrain involved. I believe that any pilot that went down in that area would have recieved the same search.

The idea to bill his widow with the cost of the search seems to be way out of line here. After all, if it had been one of us lowly peons would our estates been billed? I dont think so, I believe the state is looking for a way to overcome its budget shortfall by any means necessary and Steve's widow just happens to be in the line of fire.

Typical government.